Mouse-guard for pianos.



S. D. BELL.

MOUSE GUARD FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-23 1915.

1,149,423. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

INVENTOR rm/mn SILAS D. BELL, OF CHILDRESS, TEXAS.

MOUSE-GUARD FOR PIANOS.

Application filed January 23, 1915.

T all wizomit may concern:

Be it known that I, SILAs D. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Childress, in the county of Childress and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouse-Guards for Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to an upright device for closing the openings in the front of a piano directly below the pedals to thereby render the piano mouse proof, said closing device also acting as aspring support for the pedals and cooperating with the pedals in their up and down movement in the front board of the piano.

The principal objects of my invention are first, to provide in a piano a simple and efficient device for closing the slots or openings in the front board of a piano wherein the pedals of the piano normally reciprocate and second, to provide in conjunction with the piano pedals, a cross bar arranged on the front board of the piano below the slots wherein said pedals operate, and a series of flaps oscillating on said cross bar and normally held, preferably under spring pressure, in upright position under the pedals and against the slots to constitute a closure for said slots.

The nature and scope of my invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the front board of a piano and the pedals and showing the device embodying main features of my invention in operative position with re spect to said pedals. Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the closing device removed from the piano. Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on line rem of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the front board of the piano and 2 the pedals working in slots 3 formed in said front board 1. As shown the usual number of pedals and slots isthree. Directly below the pedal slots 3 is arranged a cross bar 4: having its ends 5 bent at right angles and adapted to enter the front board 1 of the piano to secure the cross bar 4: firmly thereto. Adjacent to each slot 3 and on the cross Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Serial No. 3,892.

bar 4 is hinged or otherwise pivotally secured a flap 6. In the preferred manner of arranging the flaps 6 on the bar 4: each flap 6 has a sleeve 6 at its base and the flap 6 projects upward and terminates in a forwardly and downwardly projecting lip 7 which fits under the bottom of a pedal 2 when said pedals are in elevated position as shown in Fig. 2, and the body of the flap 6 rests against the front board 1 to close the slot or opening 3 in which said pedal reciprccates.

To maintain the flaps 6 in their normal upright position each flap is preferably provided with a spring 8, the ends of which are coiled around the cross-bar 4: and fastened thereto and the intermediate part presses upon the flap 6 to throw the same against the front board 1 of the piano.

In the operation of the device, when a pedal 2 is depressed, it first presses upon the lip 7 of the flap 6 and thereafter upon the face of the flap to oscillate the flap 6 forwardly on the bar 4 against the tension of spring 8. When pressure upon pedal 2 is released the flap 6 returns to its normal position against the front board 1 to close the slot 3 under tension of its spring 8 and also thereby serves to return the pedal 2 to its inoperative position.

Where as in many instances, the central pedal 2 has a transverse slot 3 (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2) wherein the pedal 2 when depressed may be pushed to lock the pedal down, the central flap 6 should also be provided with a side wing 6 (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3) to cover said transverse slot when the flap rests against the front board 1.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a piano, the combination with a pedal working in a slot in the front board of the piano, of a closure for the slot comprising a flap pivotally supported by the front board and normally resting in upright position beneath the pedal and means arranged to permit the flap to oscillate on its pivotal connection during the up and down movement of the pedal.

2. A closure for piano pedal slots, comprising a bar secured to the front of the piano below the pedals, a flap pivotally supported by said bar, a means for maintaining said flap under spring tension in upright position on said bar, and a lip formed on the upper end of the flap and resting under the lower face of a pedal.

3. In a device of the character described, a bar adapted to be secured to the front of the piano below the pedals, a plurality of flaps each pivotally connected at one end to 10 the bar, and a spring for each flap adapted to maintain the flap in upright position under the lower face of a pedal.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

SILAS D. BELL.

Vitnesses A. J. BEVERAGE, JAS. M. BARNIIART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." 

